News Promoting the Plight of Endangered Earth and the Efforts to Save It

Archives for November 2016

25 November 2016 | The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety News Release

Meeting at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP22) in Morocco, California Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew Rodriquez and German State Secretary for Environment, Building and Nuclear Safety Jochen Flasbarth agreed to expand cooperation and redouble their commitment to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement and keeping the global temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius.

At their meeting, State Secretary Flasbarth and Secretary Rodriquez discussed the need for decisive climate action now to avoid the worst impacts of climate change on the environment, as well as on people’s health and livelihood. They also discussed how solutions to climate change, like investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate smart technology, will help grow our economies and create jobs.

State Secretary Flasbarth said: “Ambitious climate action needs the involvement of all actors — business, science and citizens – and of all levels of government.” He went on to underline that the cooperation between the national, federal and local level within countries and between countries can be of great benefit.

Additionally, Secretary Rodriquez and State Secretary Flasbarth committed to continue working with other national and subnational actors on climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as environmental issues like clean air.

“Our partnership with Germany and its regions has grown into a global coalition that sets an example and encourages action by other state and national governments,” said Secretary Rodriquez. “We look forward to strengthing our collaboration to confront climate change and lead the transition to a clean energy economy.”

They agreed to support the work of the Under2 Coalition on Subnational Global Climate Leadership, a growing pact of 165 cities, states and countries committed to limiting the increse in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsuis. With the addition of 29 new members this week, the coalition has grown to represent more than 1.08 billion people and 25.7 trillion US dollar in GDP, equivalent to more than a third of the global economy.

Secretary Rodriquez and State Secretary Flasbarth highlighted the Under2 Coalition as an excellent example for close cooperation on ambitious climate action between different nations, provinces, federal states and cities from different continents. The Coalition was formed in 2015 by California and the German state of Baden-Württemberg to mobilize – and galvanize – bold climate action from likeminded governments around the globe. Coalition members pledge to limit greenhouse gas emissions to 2 tons per capita or 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

California’s Leadership on Climate Change

Under Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., California has taken bold action to advance its climate goals, establishing the most ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in North America and the nation’s toughest restrictions on destructive super pollutants. In September, Governor Brown also signed legislation that directs cap-and-trade funds to greenhouse gas reducing programs that benefit disadvantaged communities, support clean transportation and protect natural ecosystems.

This action builds on landmark legislation the Governor signed in October 2015 to generate half of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and double the rate of energy efficiency savings in California buildings. Governor Brown has also committed to reducing today’s petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent within the next 15 years; make heating fuels cleaner; and manage farm and rangelands, forests and wetlands so they can store carbon.

The German cabinet adopted on 14th November Climate Action Plan 2050 following a proposal by Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks. It is the first government document which maps out the way towards nearly greenhouse gas neutrality in Germany by 2050. The plan sets out climate quantitative targets for individual economic sectors in 2030 and provides guidance for strategic decisions over the coming years.

Environmental Protection Agency figures released today show that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased significantly in 2015, with the link between economic growth and increased emissions yet to be broken. Today’s release provides provisional greenhouse gas emissions figures for the time period 1990 – 2015. For 2015, total national greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be 59.84 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq) which is 3.7 % (2.12 Mt CO2 eq) higher than emissions in 2014.

Laura Burke, EPA Director General, said:

“Ireland’s economy is growing strongly again and the growth in the number of people at work benefits all of society. However, we haven’t yet achieved a decoupling of economic growth from emissions, something most evident in the transport sector. For our current growth to be sustainable we must implement measures to decarbonise the transport and energy sectors, as described in the EPA’s recently released State of the Environment Report, and ensure that increases in agricultural production aren’t at the expense of the environment. Ireland is not currently on the right track to meet its 2020 targets, nor is it on the right emissions trajectory to meet future EU targets or our national 2050 decarbonisation goals.”

The Energy Industries, Transport and Agriculture sectors now account for almost 73% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture remains the single largest contributor to the overall emissions at 33% of the total. Transport and Energy Industries are the second and third largest contributors at 19.8% and 19.7% respectively.

Agriculture emissions increased by 1.5% in 2015 (0.30 MtCO2eq). The most significant drivers for the increased emissions in 2015 are higher dairy cow numbers (+7.7%) with an increase in milk production of 13.2%. This reflects national plans to expand milk production under Food Wise 2025 and the removal of the milk quota in 2015.

Transport emissions increased by 4.2% in 2015 and have now increased by over 9% in just the last three years. Transport emissions are now exhibiting a worrying trend of closely tracking strong economic and employment growth. The number of passenger diesel cars increased by 11.2% in 2015 while the number of passenger petrol cars decreased by 4.1%. Passenger diesel cars represent the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the Transport sector, with negative implications for air quality due to the higher nitrous NOx emissions produced than from equivalent petrol fueled cars.

Sectoral emissions in the Energy Industries sector (i.e. power generation) increased by 5.4% in 2015 compared to 2014. The increase in emissions is largely attributable to a substantial increase in electricity generation from coal (19.6%) and a decrease in natural gas use (-5.5%). Electricity generated from renewables increased to 27% of electricity generated in 2015 (up from 23% in 2014). Overall, the replacement of natural gas generation by coal generation – due to low coal prices – is having a upward impact on emissions intensity, more than offsetting the decreases achieved with increased renewable generation.

Emissions in the Residential sector also increased significantly with a 5.1% increase in emissions despite the winter in 2015 being only slightly colder than in 2014. Kerosene use increased by 15.8%, more than offsetting decreased coal use. Adjusting for climate effects, this suggests an underlying increase in fuel use, most likely as a result of low fuel prices.

Emissions from the Manufacturing Combustion and the Industrial Processes sectors both increased significantly, by 5.2% and 10.2% respectively. Increased emissions from cement production contributed to both sectoral increases with cement process emissions in particular up 13.1% in 2015. In 2015, total emissions from cement production amount to 2.55 Mt CO2eq, or 4.3% of national total emissions.

There were decreases in greenhouse gas emissions from three sectors in 2015; Commercial Services, Public Services and F-gases, which decreased by -2.3%, -1.2% and -4.3% respectively. These three sectors combined represent less than 5% of total emissions.

Ireland’s EU target for 2020 is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the non-Emissions Trading Scheme (non-ETS) sector by 20% on 2005 levels. The non-ETS sector covers emissions from agriculture, transport, residential, commercial and public services, non-energy intensive industry and the waste sectors.

Concluding, Laura Burke said:

“The EPA’s most recent greenhouse gas emission projections published in March this year, projected that Ireland would not meet its 2020 target, with emission reductions likely to be in the range of 6-11% below 2005 levels. The greenhouse gas emission increases for 2015 in this report, suggest that achieving reductions, even at the lower end of that range, will be difficult.”

WASHINGTON— Thousands gathered today in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for a national day of action at President Obama’s Army Corps of Engineers offices to call for the permanent rejection of the Dakota Access Pipeline, currently under the threat of the Trump presidency. This call to action from indigenous leaders in Standing Rock was in response to increased violent repression from militarized police as the pipeline company continues construction on sacred land, despite a voluntary hold by the Army Corps.

This mass mobilization highlighted the growing importance for President Obama to reject the Dakota Access Pipeline while he is in office. Additionally, the rallies were a powerful opportunity for allies across movements to unite in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in Standing Rock and to strengthen the resistance movement to fight against fossil fuels and white supremacy under the Trump administration.

The Indigenous Environmental Network, Honor the Earth and the Native Organizers Alliance were joined by thousands of people standing in solidarity with Indigenous peoples at Standing Rock, and with the support from other climate and social justice groups across the country, including 350.org, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, National Nurses United, Hip Hop Caucus, CREDO, BOLD Alliance, Greenpeace USA, Idle No More, Beyond Extreme Energy, Rainforest Action Network, Stand.earth, Oil Change International, Our Revolution, Center for Popular Democracy, Powershift Network, Defenders of the Land, Earthworks, People’s Action, Food and Water Watch, Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ, Center for Biological Diversity, Daily Kos, Natural Resources Defense Council, Arab American Institute, Sierra Club, Iraq Veterans against the War, Ruckus Society, Friends of the Earth, Climate Hawks Vote and many more.

Quotes from protest supporters:

Dallas Goldtooth, “Keep It in the Ground” organizer with Indigenous Environmental Network: “All across the country, we are bringing the proverbial fires of the Oceti Sakowin to the doors of the U.S. Army Corps, demanding action to stop this bakken oil pipeline. Now is the time for the White House administration and its Department of Army to support Indigenous rights and sovereignty by rescinding the pipeline permits and ordering a full EIS. We all stand in solidarity with Standing Rock, because we know this is a fight worth winning.”

Kandi Mossett, campaign organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network: “Now, perhaps more than ever before, we must come together to send a unified message that we will continue to stand in solidarity for the protection of all life and its beautiful diversity. We’ve come too far to be set back now; our strength is in our unity and our love for each other which creates a bond that can never be broken. Join us in our fight to defend the sacred and protect the water. Now is the time to take action.”

Tara Houska, national campaigns director with Honor the Earth: “There are communities going underwater from rising seas. Cancer clusters, destruction of sacred places. Indigenous people being attacked by dogs, maced, shot with rubber bullets. Climate change is happening now. Dakota Access is bulldozing burial grounds and hurting water protectors now. The delays and noncommittal statements from the Obama administration are disappointing to say the least. We want answers. Conduct an Environmental Impact Statement. Halt the construction of this destructive project.”

Judith Le Blanc, member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and Director of the Native Organizers Alliance: “The native-led standoff with DAPL has changed everything in the struggle to save Mother Earth. We have over a thousand ‘Flints’ in Indian Country for generations. Stopping the DAPL pipeline is the next step for protecting our water, Flint’s water and making access to clean water a human right for all.”

Bill McKibben, cofounder of 350.org: “When elders at Standing Rock asked people from around the country to turn out in support of their campaign, I knew that people around the country would answer their call. Their encampment is the moral center of the continent right now, and it’s good to have some of that spirit across the nation today.”

Josh Nelson, deputy political director at CREDO: “Today’s action shows that the brave indigenous leaders resisting the Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock have massive grassroots support in all 50 states. With a racist climate change denier poised to enter the White House, the Obama administration must do everything in its power to defend indigenous rights and stop disastrous fossil fuel infrastructure projects like the Dakota Access pipeline.”

Dr. Gabriela Lemus, president of Progressive Congress Action Fund: “Progressive Congress Action Fund stands in solidarity with the Indigenous people at Standing Rock in their brave battle to protect sacred land. The battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline symbolizes our collective future and ultimate survival of the generations to come.”

Taylor McKinnon with the Center for Biological Diversity: “The Dakota Access Pipeline is a dangerous affront on Indigenous rights and our collective water and climate futures. We stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and all sacred site struggles by calling on President Obama to kill the Dakota Access Pipeline once and for all.”

Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Natural Resources Defense Council: “The stakes have never been higher in our work to secure a more just future. NRDC stands in solidarity with our Indigenous sisters and brothers resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline, and we support their right to preserve their heritage, their water, and their sovereignty. The company building the pipeline is willing to desecrate the water, the land, and sites held sacred by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. This is not a new story. It is time to end the harm of fossil fuel extraction, and transition to a clean energy future.”

Wenonah Hauter, executive director, Food & Water Watch: “At this critical juncture, President Obama has a golden opportunity to strengthen his legacy on protecting our climate and standing up for indigenous rights. He can do it simply by ending this hazardous, unjust pipeline project once and for all. He can and he must.”

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

A new WWF Marine Ecological Hotspot Map published today reveals that only five of the 31 (16 per cent) identified ecological hotspots in Hong Kong are protected and actively managed, with their area covering less than two per cent of our marine and coastal areas. WWF urges the government to lay out a roadmap for meeting one of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Targets of conserving at least 10 per cent of our marine and coastal areas of high conservation importance.

The Marine Ecological Hotspots are areas hosting representative, rare or threatened species and habitats that merit conservation and scientific research. They are shortlisted in a first of its kind project by WWF in collaboration with more than 30 marine experts including the city’s leading academics. The evaluation, which took almost a year to complete, was based on the best available information and six globally recognized scientific criteria for identifying Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs).

Examples of the Marine Ecological Hotspots are West Lantau (the current core habitat of Chinese white dolphins), Ha Pak Nai to Tsim Bei Tsui (part of the city’s largest intertidal mudflat that supports large numbers of waterbirds and largest population of horseshoe crabs locally), and Hoi Ha Wan (a marine park rich in corals and reef fish).

Protecting these Marine Ecological Hotspots brings numerous benefits for people and wildlife. A 2015 report by WWF International estimated that for every dollar invested in creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), we can expect at least tripled economic benefits in return through improvements in factors like employment, coastal protection and fisheries. Existing MPAs worldwide have proven that MPAs can reduce poverty, strengthen governance, and benefit human health and gender equality.

Determining Hong Kong’s Marine Ecological Hotspots is only the first step. In face of mounting threats from coastal development, Hong Kong is racing against time to conserve as much important marine habitats as we can. WWF will next work with experts to build a consensus identifying those Marine Ecological Hotspots in need for priority protection and management, and recommend appropriate conservation measures – such as establishing MPAs with no-take zones – to the government. We will also work closely with different stakeholders to ensure the right balance is struck between societal and economic needs and environmental protection.

Samantha Lee, Assistant Conservation Manager, Marine, of WWF-Hong Kong urges all Chief Executive candidates to place marine conservation high on their agenda. “The city’s new leader should spell out the roadmap to designate at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine area of high conservation importance as protected areas by 2020. As such, Hong Kong will be able to meet one of the Aichi Targets of United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity, and leave a lasting Blue legacy for Hong Kong in the same way that Hong Kong’s previous government left a lasting Green legacy with our Country Park system.”

In regards to the latest development blueprint Hong Kong2030 Plus, WWF asserts that developments should stay away from Marine Ecological Hotspots. Our experts will continue to scrutinise development proposals to minimise impact on the marine environment.

Dr Ang Put, who is one of the initiative’s key contributors and a leading researcher from the Marine Science Laboratory of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said “WWF should be lauded for coming up with this Marine Ecological Hotspot Map as it is so critical to be aware of the areas of conservation importance around Hong Kong for future developmental planning. This will help to ensure the conservation of these hotspot areas as part of Hong Kong strategic development in the future. Furthermore, a more in-depth scientific study could also be carried out within and around these areas to obtain a greater understanding of their ecosystem dynamics. All of these will contribute to achieving a sustainable Hong Kong marine environment.”

Dr Cynthia Yau, a marine biologist who has also contributed to the initiative, says “the seas around Hong Kong are home to a truly remarkable diversity of marine life, yet they face a multitude of threats from our ever-increasing conflicting demands in the use of our waters, such as navigation, fisheries, recreation, and coastal development. The Marine Ecological Hotspot Map can therefore help us better plan and prioritize which areas should be given more protection to ensure the survival of this rich marine biodiversity for future generations.”

Special thanks to Swire Trust for support the Sea For Future initiative.

Recreational activities and commercial fishing are banned from Marine Reserves. Only education and scientific research is permitted. AFCD is responsible for monitoring the ecology, environment and activities within Marine Reserves, enforcing the Marine Parks Ordinance.

Cape d’Aguilar

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Marine Park

Fishing, vessel speed, development are regulated within Marine Parks. AFCD is responsible for monitoring the ecology, environment and activities within Marine Parks, enforcing the Marine Parks Ordinance.

As part of its ongoing commitment to preserving America’s rich wildlife legacy and the ability of all Americans to enjoy their unique and spectacular public lands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is finalizing a rule to govern the management of non-federal oil and gas development on lands of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The final revisions to the 50-year-old regulations allow for the continued responsible extraction of oil and gas, but require closer adherence to industry best management practices, and will prevent the potentially hazardous abandonment of infrastructure and on-refuge disposal of debris.

The Service is responsible for managing more than 850 million acres in the Refuge System, including five marine national monuments, 565 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts. Refuges are critical to the local communities that surround them, serving as centers for recreation, economic growth, and landscape health and resiliency. In doing so, they support regional economies to the tune of $2.4 billion dollars per year and more than 35,000 jobs.

Private individuals and other entities retain ownership of subsurface minerals on many Service lands, including national wildlife refuges, and have the legal right to develop those resources. The revised regulations will reduce refuge impacts, including habitat loss and degradation, wildlife mortality and displacement, and other risks to ecological integrity. The revisions will avoid or minimize the adverse effects on natural and cultural resources and wildlife-dependent recreation associated with oil and gas development activities.

“National wildlife refuges play a critical role in protecting fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats as well as an important role in human communities,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “These updated regulations will ensure a consistent and effective regulatory environment for oil and gas operators, and protect public health and safety while offering Americans unrivaled places to hunt, fish, hike, boat and just enjoy being outdoors.”

More than 100 refuges have oil and gas operations, including almost 1,700 wells actively producing oil and gas, and thousands more inactive or plugged wells. While in most instances, impacts on refuge resources are minimal, improperly conducted oil and gas activities on refuges can result in significant damage to wildlife and their habitats.

Abandoned pump jacks, tanks, power lines, oilfield trash and debris litter approximately 15 percent of refuges nationwide. Oilfield equipment, construction materials and debris abandoned when wells cease producing conflict with the purpose of refuges and the expectations of refuge visitors to experience natural habitat. Derelict oilfield equipment not only is an eyesore, it presents a potential hazard to wildlife Service employees and the public. In some instances, operators have responded to spills and leaks in ways that caused additional harm and failed to remediate all of the impacts to the surrounding area. The final rule will require oil and gas operators to immediately report spills, respond to them with oversight by the Service, and conduct restoration under Service-approved plans.

A fundamental benefit of the final rule is that it will ensure all operations on refuges are reclaimed by plugging wells, removing all above-ground structures, equipment, roads and contaminating substances, reestablishing native vegetation, and restoring disturbed areas to productive habitat.

The revisions will ensure that non-federal oil and gas operations are conducted in a manner that avoids or minimizes impacts to refuge resources and uses by providing: regulatory clarity and guidance to oil and gas operators and refuge staff; a simple process for compliance; and flexibility to incorporate technological improvements in exploration and drilling technology across different environments.

More than 48 million visits are made to refuges every year. The final rule will help ensure that visitors to national wildlife refuges will be impacted as little as possible by non-federal oil and gas operations.

Throughout the rulemaking process, the Service received input from the public, the oil and gas industry, other federal agencies, and conservation groups to ensure the proposed regulations are consistent with best management practices and other industry standards for wildlife habitat conservation within the Refuge System. Revisions were made to the final rule to clarify it does not apply to refuges in Alaska. However, the standards in the rule can be used by the Service in Alaska as guidance on how to protect refuge resources and uses from the impacts of non-federal oil and gas activities as required by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

The final rule is being published concurrently with the record of decision as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Both will publish in the Federal Register on November 14, 2016; the final rule will become effective on December 14, 2016. More information, including the final environmental impact statement, is available at: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/oil-and-gas/.

10 November 2016 | International Union for Conservation of Nature News Release

Gland, Switzerland, 10 November, 2016 (IUCN) – Global changes in temperature have already impacted every aspect of life on Earth from genes to entire ecosystems, with increasingly worrying consequences for humans – according to a new study co-authored by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Climate Change Specialist Group (SSC CCSG), published today in the journal Science.

The study found that more than 80% of ecological processes that form the foundation for healthy marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems – such as changes to genetic diversity or seasonal migration – are already showing signs of distress and altering as a response to climate change.

“The extent to which climate change is already wreaking havoc with nature is simply astounding,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “These findings send a very clear message to world leaders gathering for climate change negotiations in Marrakech: cutting greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the ecosystems on which we depend is an urgent matter of self-preservation.”

Many of the climate change impacts on species and ecosystems affect people, according to the authors, with consequences ranging from increased pest and disease outbreaks, reduced productivity in fisheries, and decreasing agricultural yields. Changes in ecological processes may also compromise the capacity of ecosystems to help us mitigate and adapt to climate change, the authors warn. Healthy ecosystems contribute to climate mitigation and adaption by sequestering substantial amounts of carbon, regulating local climate and reducing risks from climate-related hazards such as floods, sea-level rise and cyclones, the report states.

“We now have evidence that, with only a ~1oC of warming globally, major impacts are already being felt,” says study lead author Dr Brett Scheffers, member of the IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group and assistant professor at the University of Florida. “These range from individual genes changing, significant shifts in species’ physiology and physical features such as body size, and species moving to entirely new areas.”

When a large number of processes are all impacted within a single ecosystem, they scale up to produce what researchers call ecological regime shifts – where one ecosystem state shifts to an alternative state. This can be seen in kelp forests that have turned into rocky barrens in temperate seas. On land and in the oceans, many ecosystems are becoming unrecognisable, with Arctic tundra ecosystems becoming dominated by boreal and temperate organisms, and temperate marine ecosystems becoming dominated by tropical organisms.

However, the study also points to hope as many of nature’s responses to climate change could be used to inform human adaptive measures. For example, improved understanding of the adaptive capacity in wildlife can be applied to our crops, livestock and fisheries. This can be seen in crops such as wheat and barley, where domesticated varieties are crossed with wild varieties to maintain the evolutionary potential of crops under climate change.

“This study has strong implications for global climate change agreements,” says co-author Dr Wendy Foden, Chair of the IUCN SSC Climate Change Specialist Group, based at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. “Countries’ current commitments reduce global temperature rise to around 3oC, but we’re showing that there are already serious impacts right across biological systems at 1oC. If we’re going to keep natural systems delivering the services we rely so heavily on, it’s imperative that we step up our efforts.”

“We are simply astonished at the level of change we observed, which many of us in the scientific community were not expecting for decades,” says senior author Dr James Watson from the University of Queensland and World Conservation Society, member of the IUCN Climate Change Specialist Group. “It is no longer sensible to consider this a concern for the future and if we don’t act quickly to curb emissions it is likely that every ecosystem across Earth will fundamentally change in our lifetimes.”

The full report, “The broad footprint of climate change from genes to biomes to people” is available here.

Yokohama, Japan—The International Tropical Timber Organization’s (ITTO) fifty-second Council session began this week in Yokohama, during which Madagascar was welcomed as the 73rd member of ITTO.

Madagascar is home to unique and rich biodiversity, with about 14 000 plant species, 90% of which are endemic. However, the country faces significant challenges in ensuring its natural resources, including the nation’s highly prized timber species, are managed sustainably and traded legally, with the benefits shared equitably and contributing towards sustainable development. The main threats include deforestation due to land conversion, fuel wood needs for a poor and growing population and illegal trade of precious timber species.

“Madagascar’s membership of ITTO is a welcome and important step for a country seeking support from the international community to improve transparency and governance in its timber industry,” said Cynthia Ratsimbazafy, a Project Officer with TRAFFIC, based in Madagascar.

In recent years, TRAFFIC has been working in Madagascar under the USAID-funded SCAPES project on “Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources”, which aims to combat the illegal trade in Madagascar’s natural resources through capacity building for Malagasy stakeholders. Under it, TRAFFIC works closely with the Ministry of Ecology Environment and Forest (MEEF), its Directorate General of Forests and with the Regional Directorate of Ecology, Environment and the Forests (DREEF), as well as with research institutes, NGOs and private sectors, providing support on implementation of regulations for species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in particular rosewoods Dalbergia spp. and ebonies Diospyros spp., and in restoring governance in the timber sector through development of biodiversity management plans for precious timber species, developing the national legality framework for forest and timber trade and by building capacity of government officials, industry and NGOs, in species identification.

TRAFFIC is represented at the ITTO Council meeting by Chen Hin Keong, TRAFFIC’s Timber Trade Programme Leader who is also co-Chair of ITTO’s Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG), which endeavours to provide recommendations and advice to the Council and members in support of ITTO’s objectives.

TRAFFIC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ITTO, the first outcome of which will be an event held on 12th November in conjunction with TRAFFIC’s Japan office entitled: CITES and Timber trade—Japan’s role in the global community.

As the world marks the international day to protect the environment during armed conflict, the scorched earth tactics being used by embattled ISIL militants in Iraq demonstrate that the environment is often a “silent casualty” of war, the heads of two UN bodies said today.

In recent weeks in Iraq, oil wells have been set ablaze, turning the skies and soil black. Burning stockpiles of sulphur dioxide at an industrial facility created a large toxic cloud. The crisis highlights a phenomenon that has been playing out for decades. Environmental destruction can impact the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the prospects of post-war recovery and lasting peace, and can serve as a driver of migration.

This is only one part of the picture, as the environment plays a complex role in many different aspects of conflict. At least 40 percent of internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources such as timber, diamonds, oil, fertile land and water. Conflicts involving natural resources have also been found to be more likely to relapse into conflict in the first five years after a peace deal has been signed.

“Among the unprecedented 65 million refugees in the world, many will have a story that includes ecocide. Wars are starting because of natural resources. They are being perpetuated because of natural resources. And we are seeing the environment being used as a weapon,” said UN Environment head Erik Solheim. “Environmental protection needs to take a more prominent role in our response to conflict.”

The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict aims to highlight these links and prompt action.

“Families fleeing from Mosul have been impacted by years of living under ISIL and by the ongoing military operation, leaving them in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection. Choking clouds and toxic fumes from burning oil wells and industrial facilities now add to their plight,” said Stephen O’Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Protecting the environment during conflicts is critical to protecting human health and also the ability of communities and nations to recover after crises.”

The international community is working to produce stronger legal frameworks to protect our planet.

In May, all 193 member states of the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution to protect the environment in areas affected by armed conflicts. In addition, the United Nations International Law Commission – the General Assembly’s experts and trailblazers in international law – is developing guidance on how international and national laws can protect the environment before, during and after armed conflicts.

“Protecting the environment from armed conflict protects farmlands from the impacts of bombings, landmines and toxic pollution,” said Solheim. “It safeguards a fair and inclusive system for governing and using natural resources. It ensures healthy lives for ourselves, for our children, and for generations to come.

“Effectively protecting the environment against the horrors of armed conflict and supporting equitable governance of natural resources is an important step on the path to development, prosperity, and sustainable peace.”

After five years of protracted negotiations, and tireless ‘Speedo diplomacy’ from endurance swimmer and UN Environment’s Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh, Antarctica’s Ross Sea has finally been declared a Marine Protected Area.

The Ross Sea is widely considered to be the last great wilderness area on Earth and known as the polar ‘Garden of Eden’.

At the annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), delegates from 24 nations and the European Union voted unanimously to create the world’s largest protected area on land or sea.

“We are thrilled that this very special part of our planet’s oceans has been safeguarded for future generations,” said UN Environment head Erik Solheim. “We are especially proud of our Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh, who shuttled between the nations to help find consensus. Today’s result is a testament to his determined efforts.”

This historic occasion marks the first time a large-scale marine protected area has been established in the High Seas. The 1.57 million square kilometre area – which is larger than the UK, France, Germany and Italy together – will be protected from the kind of industrial fishing that has had devastating effects on other seas around the world.

“The Ross Sea is one of the most pristine marine ecosystems left on Earth, and home to many species found nowhere else,” said US scientist David Ainley, who was the first to call for a marine protected area fourteen years ago. “The data collected from this ‘living laboratory’ helps us understand the significant changes taking place on Earth right now. The Ross Sea has much more value as an intact marine ecosystem than as a fishing ground.”

The Ross Sea is home to 50 per cent of ecotype-C killer whales (also known as the Ross Sea orca), 40 per cent of Adélie penguins, and 25 per cent of emperor penguins.

“I am overjoyed,” Pugh said. “The Ross Sea is one of the most magnificent places on Earth. It is one of our last great wilderness areas. This is a dream come true.”

For the past two years, Pugh has campaigned tirelessly to protect the region. After undertaking a series of swims in the Ross Sea in February 2015 to draw attention to the issue, Pugh visited Moscow numerous times in an effort to convince Russian officials to endorse the Ross Sea protected area. Until now, Russia had blocked the proposal no less than five times.

The media dubbed Pugh’s efforts ‘Speedo diplomacy’, because of the endurance swimmer’s ability to survive freezing Antarctic waters wearing nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks.

Pugh said: “Today’s announcement marks an important moment in the history of conservation. The High Seas represent 45 per cent of the Earth’s surface. But they are largely unprotected and are facing rampant overfishing. This is a crucial first step in what I hope will be a series of marine protected areas around Antarctica, and in other parts of the High Seas around the world.

What makes it all the more remarkable, Pugh says, is that Russia, the US, the EU and the other CCAMLR nations shook hands in a time of strained political relations.

“In 1959 at the height of the Cold War, Antarctica was set aside as a place for peace and science,” he said. “Today’s announcement shows that Antarctica continues to be a place for peace and bridge building, a place where we can find common ground. My hope is that what has been achieved here, can be used to foster dialog and cooperation in other parts of the world.”

Sergei Ivanov, President Putin’s Special Representative for Ecology, also welcomed the deal.

“Russia has a proud history of exploration and science in Antarctica,” he said. “In this time of political turbulence in so many parts of the world, we are pleased to be part of this collaborative international effort to safeguard the Ross Sea.”

Lewis Pugh is an ocean advocate, a maritime lawyer and an endurance swimmer. He was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, and he frequently swims in vulnerable ecosystems to draw attention to their plight. He is a leading figure in efforts to protect our oceans, and UN Environment’s Patron of the Oceans.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established by international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. This was in response to increasing commercial interest in Antarctic krill resources, a keystone component of the Antarctic ecosystem and a history of over-exploitation of several other marine resources in the Southern Ocean.

WWF-today welcomed a Commons debate on how to save species and habitats across the globe, and reiterated calls for the government to ensure that environmental protection is strengthened following the UK’s departure from the EU.

The debate was called by former Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman after WWF’s Living Planet Report revealed that global populations of vertebrate species are on course to fall by a shocking 67 per cent on 1970 levels by the end of this decade – and have already fallen by 58 per cent. Earlier research by RSPB showed that over half of UK species, including hedgehogs, kingfishers and many species of butterflies, have declined in recent decades.

MPs who spoke in the debate included Labour’s Kerry McCarthy and Angela Smith, and the SNP’s Calum Kerr. They called on Ministers to use the promised ‘25-year Plan for the Environment’ – expected for publication in draft form this year – to set out how they will work to reduce the UK’s international footprint, as well as protecting nature at home.

…genuine threat to global social and economic stability

Mrs Spelman said:

“The evidence in the Living Planet Report is irrefutable. Such significant decline in the global wildlife population is not only unsustainable, but it poses a genuine threat to global social and economic stability.

“What the UK needs now is a comprehensive 25-year strategy to ensure that we can not only meet our international obligations to build a resilient global ecology and sustain precious biodiversity; as set out in the Nagoya Protocols, but also work closely with less economically developed countries to assist them as they strive to tackle the encroaching threats of climate change, habitat loss and degradation the exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and animal diseases.

“This will be particularly critical as the government looks to invest in major infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of Heathrow airport, and develop new international trading relationships post-Brexit”

The UK has an opportunity now to establish itself as a global leader…

Ben Stafford, Head of Public Affairs at WWF-UK said:

“Nature’s decline threatens us all, and the government has a responsibility to act. As they make their plans to leave the EU, Ministers should now make an unequivocal commitment that the standards that protect our wildlife and wild places will remain in place and be strengthened. We are disappointed that no Minister will be attending the next CoP and we urge them to reconsider their decision.

“By signing up to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the UK has committed to using its power to help create a create a safer, fairer world – including by managing forests sustainably, acting on climate change, reversing land degradation and conserving oceans, seas and marine resources. The UK has an opportunity now to establish itself as a global leader in tackling environmental degradation and the catastrophic loss of wildlife across the world.”

The Living Planet Report 2016 is the world’s most comprehensive survey to date of the health of our planet. It highlights how human activities including deforestation, pollution, overfishing and the illegal wildlife trade, coupled with climate change, are pushing species populations to the edge as people overpower the planet and the earth enters a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene.

Populations that have been impacted by human activity include those of African elephants in Tanzania, maned wolves in Brazil, hellbender salamanders in the USA, leatherback turtles in the tropical Atlantic, orcas in European waters and European eels in UK rivers.

ENDS

Notes to editors

WWF is calling on the public to show governments across the UK that they want ambitious action to protect the environment at home and overseas. To sign up and find out more visit: wwf.org.uk/lpr #ForOurPlanet

Living Planet Report 2016: Risk and resilience in a new era is the eleventh edition of WWF’s biennial flagship publication. The report tracks over 14,000 vertebrate species populations from 1970 to 2012 through the Living Planet Index – a database maintained by the Zoological Society of London. Download the report and summary at: wwf.org.uk/lpr

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.